Warning Signs That You're Addicted to Tech

Sure, we're all constantly on our computers and other devices. We may even jokingly confess that we're addicted to our smartphones. But there's actually a clinical term for an unhealthy attachment to mobile technology: Nomophobia. In California, the Morningside Recovery Center announced the first-ever recovery group program to deal with this dependency. In fact, as many as two-thirds of the population may suffer from its effects, research shows, and reports of nomophobia are up 13 percent in recent years. "We use cell phones every day," explains Dr. Elizabeth Waterman, a top addiction and recovery expert at the center. "But for a growing number of people, staying connected has become an obsession that occupies every waking minute. Fear and anxiety run through their veins when they lose their cell, run out of battery [power], have no network coverage or simply imagine living life without a mobile device." So consider these eight factors as warning signs that your devices are controlling you, rather than you controlling them.